Following
is a statement from Troy Bredenkamp, general manager of the Nebraska Rural
Electric Association:

“The
President’s plan will hit rural families and businesses in Nebraska
disproportionately hard,” said Bredenkamp. “Rural communities have been put
through an economic wringer for the better part of a decade; they’ve made
incredible sacrifices. What sense does it make for the President to increase
the cost of electricity for those that can least afford it?”

“Ultimately,
public power districts and electric cooperatives are about keeping electric
bills affordable, ensuring reliable service to our customers, and providing our
communities the power they need to improve their quality of life,” said
Bredenkamp. “The President’s proposal will unnecessarily make electric power
more expensive, causing families and businesses to sacrifice on top of all the
other uncertainty in our national economy.
Without question, electric bills will increase for the Nebraskans who
can least afford to pay them.”

“If the
President doesn’t see the importance of affordable electric power, Nebraska’s
rural electric utilities will help bring it to his attention.”

The Nebraska Rural Electric
Association (NREA) is the private non-profit trade association for 34 rural
electric systems that provide electric service to consumers in most of the
rural areas and many of the small towns in the great State of Nebraska.
Together, the more than 950 dedicated employees of our member-systems serve approximately
231,000 meters across more than 87,000 miles of line.